Helsing Junction Farm ushers in another South Sound strawberry season

Strawberry season has arrived earlier than usual this year and that means some u-pick strawberry fields are already open for business.

That’s the case at Helsing Junction Farm, located in Rochester’s scenic Independence Valley, just south of the Chehalis River. Its u-pick fields opened May 22 — the farm welcomed the Olympia Community School that day — and the weekends since have been busy, said Susan Ujcic, co-owner of the longtime farm.

“It’s been busy and we’re happy about it,” she said.

Ujcic has co-owned the 40-acre farm, which is best known for organic vegetables, flowers and herbs, with Annie Salafsky for 25 years.

Never miss a local story.

Sign up today for unlimited digital access to our website, apps, the digital newspaper and more.

Still, the farm also grows and sells a selection of Rainier and Shuksan-variety strawberries, and those berries came in earlier this year because of the recent unseasonably warm and dry weather.

But arriving early also means that the strawberry season won’t be as long, likely ending in June rather than in early July, Ujcic said.

Among those in the fields on Sunday morning was Sarah Penn, co-owner of two Seattle restaurants: Pair, and Frank’s Oyster House & Champagne Bar.

Strawberries will be incorporated into desserts for both restaurants, such as strawberry ice box cake with marscapone, she said.

If that sounds decadent, try this: Helsing Junction Farm recently hosted a chocolate and strawberry gathering that involved picking strawberries and dunking them into a chocolate fountain, Annie Salafsky said.

Want to buy or pick strawberries at Helsing Junction?

The farm stand is at 12013 Independence Road SW in Rochester. The U-pick field is about one-eighth of a mile from that address, and is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends. Helsing strawberries also are sold at the Olympia Food Co-op, Spuds on Capitol Boulevard, and Farm Fresh Market on Black Lake Boulevard.

Out and about for strawberries? Here are some other locations to remember:

• Spooner Berry Farms: Spooner already is selling strawberries in west Olympia on Harrison Avenue, and at its well-known location on Yelm Highway, according to website information. It also is selling at Ralph’s Thriftway in Olympia. U-pick is expected to start in mid-June.